Comparison Canon EOS C100 vs Sony HVR-V1E

The type of primary media used by the camera to store captured video/photo.

— Flash (memory card). One of the most popular types of storages in modern electronics, it is widely used in camcorders of all types (see above). The flash technology itself is notable for its high speed, economical power consumption, reliability and shock resistance (due to the absence of moving parts), as well as the small size and weight of storages with their high capacity. At the same time, such memory is quite expensive. Therefore, camcorders most often use removable flash media in the form of memory cards of various types (see “Memory card support”): this allows the user to choose the best option in terms of price/capacity ratio. Another advantage of plug-in modules is the ability to read data from a memory card on another device — for example, a laptop; this greatly simplifies the exchange of footage. And when the card is full, it is enough to replace it with another one — and you can continue shooting. Note that some cameras also have built-in flash-memory blocks (see "Built-in memory"), but the ability to work with cards is usually provided even in such cases.

— HDD. Built-in hard disk drive — similar to those used for computers. Of course, the size and weight of such discs in camcorders is noticeably smaller, however, all the main features are the same. So, in terms of 1 GB of volume, they are much cheap...er than flash modules (see above), so they are well suited for creating devices with large volumes of internal memory. On the other hand, HDDs are noticeably heavier, they are sensitive to shocks and drops, they work a little slower, and they consume more energy — after all, during operation, the disk must rotate at a constant speed. In addition, such drives are built-in by definition and have all the corresponding disadvantages — in particular, when the memory is full, you will either have to sacrifice some materials or look for an opportunity to copy them somewhere. To compensate for this shortcoming, many "disk" cameras also provide slots for memory cards; but the HDD is still considered the main carrier .

— SSD. SSD solid state drives are similar to the memory cards described above in their main specifications: they are compact, reliable, resistant to shocks and drops, and have high speed. At the same time, the built-in storages usually works faster than a removable card, and its volume can be comparable to the HDD (see above). The main disadvantage of this option is the high price. In addition, all SSDs have a limit on the number of rewriting cycles, and when the resource is running out, the drive may become unwritable. On the other hand, this number can even now amount to tens of thousands of cycles, various tricks are used to increase the service life, and the technology is constantly being improved — there are promising designs in which this drawback has been completely eliminated.

— DVD. The DVD optical discs used in camcorders are smaller than standard discs — a full-size drive would simply not fit into a compact camera. The volume of such media is also reduced, for a conventional single-layer disc it is 1.4 GB. However, mini-DVDs can be read without problems in almost all DVD drives, which is one of the main advantages of such media: you can immediately view a disc from a camera on a computer or even a household DVD player. Also empty DVD are relatively inexpensive. On the other hand, they seriously lose to memory cards in terms of volume and dimensions, and an accidental scratch on the surface can make such a disc unreadable. In addition, most sold blank DVDs are for one time use, while rewritable ones are rarer and more expensive. As a result of all this, this media format is considered obsolete today and is gradually being replaced by more advanced technologies.

— MiniDV (cassette). MiniDV cassettes work on the principle of recording information in digital format on magnetic tape. On the one hand, such media are more bulky than memory cards, and besides, they require the use of complex tape transport mechanisms, which affects the dimensions, price, and power consumption of the cameras themselves. Also working with recorded materials is more difficult — because of the need to rewind the tape to access each individual fragment. At the same time, the recording format provides both good video quality and some advanced features — in particular, it is convenient when rewriting to film. As a result of all this, miniDV cassettes are practically not found among amateur cameras (see "Features"), but they are quite popular in professional models.

The number of individual light sensors installed in the camera. In our catalog, this parameter is indicated only for models that have more than one sensor.

There are two main varieties of multi-sensor cameras. The first is professional models that carry three sensors on board. Each of them works with only one colour, which allows you to get an image with good clarity and high colour accuracy. Of course, the actual quality of the "picture" largely depends on a number of other parameters, but initially a three-sensor scheme provides better image quality than a single-sensor one.

The second option is 3D camcorders (see "Features"), in which two sensors can be installed — each for its own video channel. See "3D" for more details.

The physical size of the camcorder sensor. It is usually measured diagonally and is indicated in fractions of an inch — for example, 1/3 "or 1/2.33" (the second option is larger, respectively). In addition, sensors of a “photographic” format can be installed in video cameras, in which case the corresponding designation is used — for example, APS-C.

The larger the sensor, the higher the image quality it can provide (all else being equal). This is due to the fact that on larger sensors, each individual pixel is larger, more light falls on it, which increases sensitivity and reduces noise; this is especially important for shooting in low light. For amateur purposes, small sensors are quite enough, but in professional cameras (see "Features") this parameter is at least 1/3". The exception, however, are models with several sensors (see "Number of sensors") in them each individual sensor is quite small, and high quality is ensured by image processing features.

The total number of individual photosensitive points (pixels) provided in the design of the sensor (1 megapixel corresponds to a million pixels). This parameter takes into account both those points on which the light falls, and service points that are not directly involved in the construction of the image. Therefore, in modern video cameras, it is more of a reference than practically significant; the actual image quality depends primarily on the number of effective megapixels (see below).

The number of light sensitive pixels directly involved in the construction of the image. These are the dots on which the “image” projected by the lens onto the matrix falls. In addition to them, there are also service pixels that are not illuminated during camera operation — they provide auxiliary information necessary for processing the resulting image. Also, when calculating effective megapixels, the reserve area required for electronic stabilization is usually not taken into account (see "Image Stabilization").

The value of the number of effective pixels for different modes of operation of the camcorder will also be different. For example, when recording video, many cameras use multiple pixels to build a single dot on the image; this is due to the fact that the sensor resolutions significantly exceed those required for video shooting (for example, the Full HD standard technically corresponds to only 2.07 megapixels). As a result, the image quality depends more on the sensor size (see above) than on the resolution. And among sensors of the same size, high resolution allows user to get better colour rendering and higher clarity (however, not always — a lot also depends on the peculiarities of image processing). If we are talking about photography, then more megapixels means a higher resolution of the resulting image, but the quality of such a picture can be relatively low due to the increased noise level and low sensitivity of each individual pixel.

The ability to change the standard camera lens to another one that differs in specifications (viewing angle, magnification, etc.). This feature is found among professional models (see "Features"). It significantly expands the possibilities of using the camera: for example, for filming sports events from a remote point, you can install a “long-range” telephoto lens, for a mass event — a wide-angle one, etc.

The range of compatible lenses may vary. Initially, camcorders used specialized optics, designed only for this class of devices, but relatively recently, models with “photographic” bayonets (see below) that are compatible with lenses for digital cameras have appeared. In such cases, the lens may not be included in the package at all — it must be purchased separately, as for a DSLR camera in the “body” version.

Bayonet type — type of a mount for an interchangeable lens (see above) provided in the design of the camcorder. This paragraph specifies only standard mounts used in camera lenses; camcorders that are not compatible with such lenses usually use specialized mounts that have not gained wide popularity.

— Canon EF. Bayonet, originally designed for Canon EOS DSLR cameras; Recently, camcorders have also been produced under this brand. Optics for EF are also made by third-party manufacturers, but the mount itself is used exclusively in Canon technology, because. this standard is not open.

— Micro Four Thirds (4:3). This bayonet is part of a standard of the same name developed by Olympus and Panasonic primarily for mirrorless digital cameras. Used in Panasonic models because Olympus practically does not release "classic" camcorders.

— Sony E. Bayonet, created by Sony for branded devices; unlike all those described above, it was originally intended not only for cameras (mirrorless), but also for camcorders.

— PL-Mount. Mount used in professional video equipment. Its main feature is the ability to mount the lens in 4 different positions — straight, "upside down" and rotated 90° to the right or left. This expands the possibilities of using the camera. In addition, Pl-Mount is characterized by high connection reliability, which is important when working with massive high-end optics.

Focal length of a standard video camera lens in terms of a 35 mm full-frame sensor. This parameter is also called the "equivalent focal length" — EFL.

The focal length itself is the distance from the optical centre of the lens (when focus to infinity) to the sensor, at which the sharpest image is obtained on the sensor. It is one of the key characteristics of any lens, because. determines the viewing angles, the degree of approximation and, accordingly, the specifics of the use of optics. At the same time, it is impossible to compare different options in terms of the actual focal length: the laws of physics are such that with different sizes of sensors, the same focal length will give different viewing angles. Therefore, EFL was adopted as a universal characteristic and criterion for comparison. It can be described as the focal length that a 35mm lens with the same viewing angles would have.

The larger the focal length, the narrower the viewing angle will be and the higher the degree of approximation of the visible scene. Optics with EFL up to 18 mm belongs to the class of ultra wide-angle ("fisheye") and is used primarily to create artistic effects. Distances up to 40 mm correspond to "wide angles", 50 mm gives the same degree of approximation as that of the naked eye, the range of 70-100 mm is considered optimal for portrait shooting, and large values allow the use of optics already as a telephoto lens. Knowing these provisions, one can approximately...evaluate the capabilities of the lens and its suitability for certain tasks; there are more detailed recommendations, they are described in special sources.

Also note that modern video cameras are usually equipped with lenses with a variable focal length (zoom), which allows you to change the degree of approximation and viewing angle; see "Optical Zoom" for details.

Aperture of a standard video camera lens.

This parameter describes how much the lens attenuates the light output. Usually it is written as a ratio between the diameter of the active hole and the focal length of the lens, while the first value is taken as one and denoted as f — for example, f/1.8 or f/5.6. Moreover, the smaller the number in such a record, the higher the aperture ratio: for example, in our example, the first option is “lighter” than the second. Also note that most lenses with a variable focal length (see above) also have a variable aperture — in such cases it is indicated by the range from maximum to minimum (from a smaller number to a larger one).

A high aperture ratio is important primarily when shooting in low light conditions: it allows you to capture an image without “lifting up” the sensor sensitivity and without creating additional artifacts in the form of noise, and in the photo shooting mode, you can also work with shorter shutter speeds (which is useful for dynamic scenes). In addition, the higher the aperture, the lower the depth of field and the easier it is to get a blurry background. Note that for simple everyday tasks this parameter does not play a decisive role, but in professional shooting it can be very significant.